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Friday, April 16, 2010

Nonoptional

"Joy is God's basic character. Joy is his eternal destiny. God is the happiest being in the universe.

"And God's intent was that his creation would mirror his joy. The psalmist speaks of the sun, 'which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy, and like a strong man runs its course with joy.' This is not merely picturesque language; this is creation expressing God's own unwearying joy at simply being, at existing and knowing existence to be good. As products of God's creation, creatures made in his image, we are to reflect God's fierce joy in life.

"This is why the Bible speaks not just about our need for joy in general, but a particular kind of joy that characterizes God.

"After teaching on the need for obedience, Jesus told his friends that his aim was that they should be filled with joy, but not just any kind of joy: 'I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.'

"The problem with people, according to Jesus, is not that we are too happy for God's taste, but that we are not happy enough.

"Lewis Smedes puts it this way: 'To miss out on joy is to miss out on the reason for your existence.'"CS Lewis said, 'Joy is the serious business of heaven.'"The apostle Paul wrote, 'Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.'

"The Bible puts joy in the nonoptional category. Joy is a command.

"...We are invited to rejoice in every moment of life because every moment of life is a gift. Every once in a while the veil is lifted, and we see this."
--John Ortberg, "The Life You've Always Wanted"

1 comment:

About Me

Director of Youth and Outreach at St. Paul's United Methodist Church AND a daughter, a sister, a wife, a friend, an aunt, a god-mother, a volunteer, a woman of faith, and one who chooses to live in joy and gratefulness... Here I write mostly about faith and life - and would love to hear your comments and stories, for I believe that is how we learn and grow together!